Chapter 125: Contention

In the Divine Kingdom of Zhurong, atop a towering peak surrounded by swirling clouds of fire, Zhurong Tonggong stood at the edge of the precipice with his hands behind his back. He watched with a faint smile as a mighty army marched past him.

Zhurong Tianming stood behind him, looking with disdain at the Zhurong Divine Army—the kingdom’s strongest regular force, riding fire dragons or maneuvering four-wheeled war chariots through the air. With the Fire God Zhurong away in Puban, Zhurong Tonggong held authority over all affairs of the kingdom, and only he had the power to mobilize these elite troops.

A flicker of greed crossed his eyes as Zhurong Tianming feigned indifference and chuckled, "Big Brother, why treat a mere child like Ji Hao, who hasn't even cut his baby teeth, with such favor?"

Zhurong Tonggong’s expression remained unchanged as he replied calmly, "A child who hasn't cut his baby teeth rescued Man Man from the hands of over a thousand Jia Clan monsters. Seventh Brother, if you had encountered such a situation at ten years old, you would have been chopped into mincemeat long ago."

Zhurong Tianming’s face darkened instantly, and he huffed resentfully, "Our divine bloodline elevates our power slowly; how can we be compared to these wild savages?"

Zhurong Tonggong said softly, "Even so, you are still inferior to him. He is a talent, and talents must be treated well—this is what Father God says. The world is in turmoil, and if our Southern Wasteland can remain a peaceful corner, it is because Father God has never hesitated to foster any useful talent."

He paused, then added with a smile, "Of course, even if Ji Hao were a fool, I would still help him. Because he saved Man Man... Man Man, who shares the same mother as I do. Thus, mobilizing the Zhurong Divine Army is only logical."

Zhurong Tianming fell silent. He looked up toward a smear of fire clouds on the horizon, a wicked, devious smile playing on his lips.

Before long, Zhurong Tonggong spoke again: "Seventh Brother, the northern border of the Southern Wasteland is my territory; this was decided by Father God. The Bi Fang tribe is also my subject. Their defection to you is an act of betrayal. Therefore, the Bi Fang tribe must be punished. It is my decision that half of their territory shall be carved out and ceded to the Fire Crow tribe."

Zhurong Tianming’s complexion shifted violently. But before he could speak, Zhurong Tonggong pressed a hand onto his shoulder. A colossal force descended; Zhurong Tianming’s bones cracked loudly, and his ruddy face turned deathly pale.

"Seventh Brother! The Bi Fang tribe belongs to me! Since we were children, you have always loved to fight me for things. But do you remember what I turned you into every time I beat you? It’s been so long since you’ve had a thrashing, you must have forgotten!"

Zhurong Tonggong let out a strange laugh, seized Zhurong Tianming by the throat, and hurled him off the precipice.

The cliff stood a hundred miles high. As Zhurong Tonggong threw him, Zhurong Tianming let out a shrill cry, plummeting like a meteor of red light. With a thunderous impact, the earth shook for a thousand miles around. Zhurong Tonggong’s throw had smashed a crater several miles wide and over ten miles deep; all the rocks and soil within were instantly vaporized, leaving not a trace of debris.

Zhurong Tianming spat out mouthfuls of blood, lying in the pit, broken and unable to move.

Zhurong Tonggong’s eyes shimmered with fire. Looking down from the height, he said coolly, "Seventh Brother, I still prefer your original name. 'Crown Prince Tianming'—what a hideous title. But, since you like it so much, I shall indulge you."

With a casual wave of his hand, Zhurong Tonggong declared, "The subjects in the Seventh Prince’s Palace are incompetent for failing to counsel their master to follow the rules; they are all guilty. Go, a troop! Execute every single minister in the Seventh Prince’s Palace, and reduce all their families to slavery. Go!"

With a chorus of acknowledgment, tens of thousands of divine guards riding fire dragons took to the sky, sweeping away in a grand, imposing force.

Lying in the crater with several broken bones, Zhurong Tianming coughed up more blood and simply closed his eyes, refusing to move.

Zhurong Tonggong looked down at his brother and smiled faintly, "Seventh Brother, I have told you many times: do not steal what is mine. I was in seclusion for only three years, and the Bi Fang tribe has already defected to you... These fools, what use is there in keeping them?"

With a wave of his broad sleeve, a flame soared into the sky, and a door of fire slowly opened. Zhurong Tonggong stepped into it, his figure fading into the flames.

As the fire door vanished, Zhurong Tianming suddenly opened his eyes. He slowly stood up and stretched his limbs. A faint, clear light swirled around his body, and the bloodstains vanished rapidly. Before long, all his internal injuries had healed.

"Big Brother, after three years of seclusion, is that all the divine power you’ve gained?"

"Are you truly this weak, or are you acting as well? Tsk, this beating was neither painful nor itchy. It wasn't even as bad as when we were kids and you broke every bone in my body over those beautiful maids!"

"Pfft, you’re unhappy with the title 'Crown Prince Tianming'? But I, Zhurong Tianming, am the embodiment of destiny, fated to become the Lord of Heaven and Earth. You, Zhurong Tonggong, aren't you just someone with a good mother and a powerful maternal clan looking after you? Take those away, and you’re nothing!"

He spat a thick glob of phlegm onto the ground, bit his tongue to force out fresh blood, smeared it across his face, and staggered onto a cloud of fire, drifting slowly toward his own palace.

In the Palace of Destiny, which was no smaller than Man Man’s palace, blood flowed like a river, and countless heads rolled haphazardly across the ground.

As an adult Seventh Prince of Zhurong, Zhurong Tianming had the authority to assemble his own staff and build his own divine army. In the Palace of Destiny alone, there were nearly ten thousand officials managing his vast territories, hundreds of thousands of maids and slaves, and countless divine guards rotating on watch day and night.

But the moment the divine army sent by Zhurong Tonggong arrived, a Fire God Token was hung high in the air. Every soul in the palace, from top to bottom, knelt obediently, allowing the soldiers of the Zhurong Divine Army to drag them out and execute them one by one.

Steaming blood pooled into brooks and merged into rivers, flowing turbulently down the steps in front of the Palace of Destiny.

Countless heads rolled everywhere. Great Shaman Priests of the Zhurong Divine Army held various shamanic banners, drawing all the souls into them; once refined, the power of these banners would increase significantly.

Zhurong Tianming 'staggered' to the front of the palace, raised his sleeves to cover his face, and wept bitterly. He knelt, slamming his head against the ground until it thudded rhythmically.

However, beneath the cover of his sleeves, his handsome face was twisted into a smug, cold sneer.

"Kill them, better to kill them all. These bastards were all useless, and at least half of them were spies for my other brothers. Killing them all is for the best. Once the house is cleaned, my future ministers will all be my own loyal confidants."

The rolling blood flowed down the steps to his side, soaking his entire body in the crimson tide.